Shedding mechanism for circular looms



May 18, 193,7.

SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR LOOMS Filed Allg. 3, $1935 F/G 3. l 4m. 2 L n .1. JABouLEY ET A. 2,080,775

IN hmm A F/G5. i 42 25 39 4023 24 FIGA l 27 ff; B A ,f

B 3a A 4/ Patented May 1,8, 1.937

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR A LOOMS Ware Application August 3, 1935, serial No. 34,575 In Great Britain August 22, 1934 7 Claims.

This invention relates to shedding mechanism for the weaving of selvedges in circular looms.

Although one of the advantages of a circular loom is that it enables the weaving of a piece of fabric of a width equal to the weaving periphery of the loom to be woven by continuous motion, such fabric usually has to be split lengthwise either into a single piece or into a plurality of pieces, depending upon the periphery of the loom and the use to which the fabric is to be put. Since the weft is carried continuously round the tubular fabric in one direction, the loom does not weave a selvedge as in the case of an ordinary loom in which the weft is picked from side to side of the fabric in opposite directions. Therefore when the tubular fabric is split there is the danger of the edges of the fabric unravelling.

The present invention has for its object to provide means whereby unravelling can be avoided when the fabric is split, the means according to the invention being adapted for use in a loom in which shedding is effected by means of shedding wheels or. like pressing means disposed near the front of each shuttle and alternately at opposite sides of the warp sheet, the wheels or the like working in conjunction with a reed on which some of the threads are free to move between the reed dents while others are restrained by passing through holes in the dents. The shedding wheels or the like operate to press the warps which are free to move rst to one side of one shuttle and then to the other side of the succeeding shuttle, in each case forming a shed into which the shuttle can enter and further separate the warps. The invention provides a. device which, in conjunction with such shedding mechanism, produces a crossing of pairs of warp threads in the part of the fabric that will form the selvedges.

The device according to the invention comprises a reed or comb conveniently mounted in the same structure with the perforated reed dents of the shedding mechanism, the dents of the comb terminating in eyes in the same circumferential line as the eyes of the main reed dents. Adjacent the comb having the eyed dents is arranged another reed or comb capable of a slight movement in a circumferential direction.

In advance of alternate shedding Wheels or like shedding elements (hereafter referred to solely as shedding Wheels) on one side of the warp circle, a cam or other device is mounted to come into engagement with the movable reed or comb so as to move the reed or comb by approximately the space between a pair of dents. An opposite circumferential movement of the reed or comb occurs when the cam or other device is passed, so that at each shedding wheel of the one series a movement in one direction or the other takes place in the threads controlled by the reed 0r comb.

Some of the warp threads are threaded through the eyes of the one comb of the device While the remainder are not so threaded. These-remaining threads are carried by the movement of the other reed or comb to one side of the eyed dents, so that upon engagement of the warp threads by the one series ofshedding wheels the nonthreaded warp threads are crossed over the threaded warp threads to form a shed.

After passage of the shuttle through the shed,

the threads are shedded by a wheel of the other series for the passage of the next shuttle. The movable reed or comb is then returned by approximately the space between a pair of dents to its original position, so bringing the movable warp threads to the other side of the threads entered in the eyes of the comb. The succeeding shedding wheel then deects the movable warp threads to form another shed, after which shedding is effected by the next Wheel of the second series, and so on.

The wheels of the second series operate to shed all the threads normally, only the wheels of the first series producing crossed sheds. The result is that at every other pick corresponding to` the operation of the first series of wheels'v the threads in the eyed comb are crossed over the adjacent movable threads to give a doup effect. This doup effect may extend over, say,v1224 warp threads, so that if the woven fabric is split along the centre of the doup some 6-12 warp threads at eac-h side of the split are twisted with each otherA at every fourth pick and serve to grip a substantial length of the severed weft threads. Any tendency of the warps to unravel is thus reduced when the fabric is split withinthe douped portion.

.One form of apparatus according to the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic part cross-sectional elevation of part of a circular loom employing rotating shuttles; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of part of the circular loom shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a part cross-sectional elevation of a detail of Figure l, on larger scale, taken along 3-3 to Figure 4; Figures'ji to 7 are diagrammatic plan views indicating the mode of operation of the mechanism shown in Figures l and 3; while Figure 8 is a diagrammatic representation of fabric woven according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, warp threads 6 unwinding from beams or like supply packages (not shown) are spaced evenly round the top of the loom by a circular comb I and proceed downwardly in cylindrical arrangement to the fabric 8, along the fell 9 of which weft is laid by a number of rotating shuttles (three, I9, II,` I2 shown in Figure 2). The fabric 8 is supported below the fell 9 by the edge of a ring I4 outstanding from the central shaft I5 of the loom.

Each shuttle is propelled round the loom by vane wheels I6 secured to a driving shaft I1, the driving shaft being driven in turn from a radially disposed spindle I 8 supported by a rotatable ring I9, which is driven round the loom at the rate at which it is desired to propel the shuttles by an electric motor 29. The drive from the electric motorV 29 to the rotatable ring I9 is transmitted by belt gearing 2I and vertical shaft 22. For further details as to the operation of the vane wheels and associated mechanism, reierence may be made to U. S. application S. No. 315,599 led July 16, 1935.

The warp threads 6 are shedded progressively round the loom to receive the shuttles Ill-I 2 by shedding wheels 23, 24 which co-operate with a circular reed-like member 25 of the type described inU. S. Patent No. 2,008,913, supported by a spider 26 outstanding from` the central shaft I5 of the loom.

U. S. Patent No. 2,008,913 describes in detail the shedding operation effected by the shedding wheels 23, 24 and the member 25, and the following description will therefore .give merely a brief outline of the salient features of the shedding operation.

The circular reed-like member 25 comprises' a series of closely spaced dents 21 each of which is formed with an eye 28 at a point midway along its length and coinciding with the normal unshedded line 29 of the warp threads (see Figure 3'), Alternate warp threads are threaded through the eyes 28k of the dents 21, and thus are fixed with respect to lateral movement, while the remaining threads are passed between adjacent dents and are free to move radially along the spaces between the dents.

The shedding wheels 23 are carried round the loom inside the warp circle by a rotatable spider 3B which is driven round the central shaft I5 at the rate of rotation of the shuttles while the shedding wheels 24 are carried roundv the loom outside the warp circle by standards 3| supported by the rotatable ring I9.

One inner shedding wheel 23 is mounted in association with each alternate shuttle, while one outer shedding wheel 24 is mounted. in association with each remaining shuttle, the disposition of each shedding wheel being such that its periphery projects beyond the normal line 29 of the warp threads 6 with the result that all the warp threads are pushed radially towards and away fromthe loom axis, respectively, at alternate shuttles.

Since, however, alternate threads are xed in the normal line 29 with respect to lateral movement, the free threads only move radially on being pressed with the result that. the warp threads are shedded atveach shuttle (see Figure 3). The shedding is. indicated. diagrammatically in Figure 2; The noses of the shuttles enter the shedsV In order to form a doup selvedge to enable the tubular fabric 8 to be cut without fraying of the cut edges, a Set ofvsix adjacent dents 21 are removed from the member 25 to form a gap. Over the gap thus formed six short dents 33 are fixed so as to form an open-ended comb, the dents 33 lying in the same radial planes as the removed dents. The outermost ends of the dents 33 are formed with eyes 34 through which are passed alternate warp threads A from the twelve threads passing through the gap. The length of the dents 33 is such that the warp threads A are held in the normal line 29, as shown in Figures 3 to 7.

Pivoted on the member 25 is a closed-ended comb 36, comprising seven dents 31 fixed into cross members 38, 39, the comb extending over the six dents and being pulled in a clockwise direction against a stop 4U by a tension spring 4I. The remaining six Warp threads B are passed between the dents 31 of the comb 36, as shown in Figures 3 to 7, and are free to move radially along the length of the dents 31.

To commence the selvedge-forming operation, a raised cam 42 formed on the periphery of the spider 39 in the vicinity of the shuttle I0 is carried by the rotation of the spider against a bowl 43 rotatably mounted on an extension of the cross member 39, and swings the comb 36 in an anticlockwise direction so that each oi the warp threads B is directed to the left-hand side of a dent 33.

The outer shedding wheel 24, in association with the shuttle I0, now pushes all the warp threads inwardly along the comb 31 thus forming a shed for the reception of the shuttle I0, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

On passage of the shuttle I0 and consequent.

laying of weft thereby between the divided threads A and B the bowl 43 reaches the end of the cam 42 and is swung in a clockwise direction. under the iniluence of the tension spring 4 I. Just as the comb 36 commences this clockwise movement, however, the inner shedding wheel 23 in association with the next shuttle II engages the threadsB and pushes them outwardly again along the dents 31 to a point beyond the ends. of the dents 33', as shown in Figure 5, thus forming a reversed shed for the reception of the next shuttle II.

On passage of the shuttle II, the comb 36 is allowed to swing against the stop 40 and thus reaches a position in which the threads B can be directed to the right-hand side of the dents 33 across the xed threads A. The outer shedding wheel in association with the succeedingv shuttleV I2 now engages the threads and pushes them inwardly along the right-hand sides of the dents 33 thus forming a shed for the reception of the shuttle I2.

On passage of the shuttle I2., a further raised cam 45, formed on the spider-.31?V commences to push the comb 36 in a clockwise direction in readiness for redirection of thethreads B to the left-hand side of the dents 33'. As the cam 45.

moves thel comb, the innery shedding wheel 23; in associ-ation with the nextv shuttle I3. engages the threadsV and pushes the threads B outwardly again to a point beyond-'the ends of the dentsv 33,

thus forming a` shed forV the reception of the shuttle I 3.

At the next shuttle the threads B are pushed inwardly again along the left=harid sides of the dents 33 (as shown in Figure 4), and the above described operations are repeated.

It will be understood that the free warp threads B are caused to lie rst to one side and then to the other of the fixed threads A, a pick of weft being laid between the two sets of threads after every shedding movement. The effect thus obtained is shown clearly in Figure 8, the interlocking of the threads preventing the edges of the fabric unravelling on being cut through the selvedge. The cutting of the fabric may conveniently be effected along the line C-C thus providing selvedges of equal width at the two edges of the cut fabric.

While the above description has been directed to forming a doup selvedge at one point only of the periphery of the loom, it is to be understood that such selvedge can be formed at any desired intervals round the loom. Thus if the tubular fabric Woven in the circular loom is to be cut lengthwise to fo-rm a single sheet, one selvedge of the type described is sufficient. If, on the other hand, two separate fabrics are desired, two selvedges will be formed, and so on.

If desired the douping mechanism according to the invention can be incorporated in a circular loom for the purpose of producing stripe patterns in the fabric, the stripes being of any desired width. By substituting for the dents 2l short dents 33, and fitting combs 36 completely round the loom periphery the whole of the fabric produced by the loom can be woven on the doup principle.

It is to be understood that while the apparatus according to the invention has been described in connection with a circular loom employing rotating shuttles, similar mechanism could be employed in a circular loom in which the shuttles are held stationary while the warp threads rotate about the loom axis.

The warp threads in the selvedge formed according to the invention may be the same as the threads in the remainder of the fabric, or special selvedge threads may be introduced into the warp at this point, for example for the purpose of strengthening the edges of the fabric or for the purpose of enabling the fabric to be identified.

The invention has, for simplicity, been described in connection with the crossing-over of alternate warp threads to form the doup selvedge according to the invention. It will be understood, however, that a. single thread could be crossed with two or more other threads, or two or more threads could be crossed with one or more threads in any desired order.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. In a circular loom having a warp-shedding reed of the type described, a comb disposed in a gap in the reed and having a series of eyed dents for holding a set of spaced warpy threads at a xed radial distance from the loom axis, a further member disposed in the vicinity of the comb and comprising a series of longer dents for guiding a furthe-r set of spaced warp threads radially with respect to the loom axis, shedding means disposed alternately at opposite sides of the warp sheet and adapted to move said further set of threads radially inwardly and outwardly past the fixed set of threads to form successive sheds on the inside and outside of said xed threads after the laying of a pick of weft in a shed, and means for effecting relative crcumferential motion between thefurther rnember and the comb after the laying of a pick lof weft in each of the sheds formed to the outside of the xed threads so as to pass each thread of the further set circumferentially across a corresponding thread of the fixed set before the formation of the next shed.

2. In a circular loom having a warp-shedding reed of the type described, a comb disposed in a gap in the reed and having a series of eyed dents for holding a set of spaced warp threads at a xed radial distance from the lo-om axis, a further member comprising a series of longer dents and pivoted on the reed above the comb, said pivoted member being adapted to guide a further set of spaced warp threads radially with respectl to the loom axis-shedding means disposed alternately at opposite sides of theV warp sheet and adapted to move said further set of threads radially inwardly and outwardly past the xed set of threads to form successive sheds on the inside and outside of said fixed threads after the laying of a pick of weft ina shed, and means for moving said pivoted member about its pivot after the laying of a pick of weft in each of the sheds formed to the outside of the fixed threads so as to pass each thread of the further set circumferentially across a corresponding thread of the xed set before the formation of the next shed.

3. In a circular loom having a warp-shedding reed of the type described, a comb disposed in a-gap in the reedand having a series of eyed dents for holding a set o-f spaced warp threads at a fixed radial distance from the loom axis, a further member comprising a series of longer dents and pivoted on the reed above the comb, said pivoted member being adapted to guide a further set of spaced Warp threads radially with respect to the loom axis, a cam follower mounted on said pivoted member, shedding means disposed alternately at opposite sides of the'warp sheet and adapted to move said further set of threads radially inwardly an-d outwardly past the xed set of threads to form successive sheds on the inside and outside of said xed threads after1 the laying of a pick of weft in a shed, and a cam adapted to engage the follower so as to move said pivoted member about its pivot after the laying of a pick of weft in each of the sheds formed to the outside of the fixed threads so as to pass each thread of the further set circumferentially across a correspo-ndingthread of the fixed set before the formation of the next shed.

4. Ina circular loom having a warp-shedding reed of the type described, a comb disposed in a gap in the reed and having a series of eyed dents for holding a set of spaced warp threadsy at a fixed radial distance from the loom axis, a further member disposed in the vicinity of the comb and comprising a series of longer dents for guiding a further set of spaced warp threads radially with respect to the loom axis, shedding wheelsV side o'f said fixed threads after the laying of a pick of weft in a shed, and means for effecting relative circumferential motion between the further member and the comb after the laying of a pick of weft in each of the sheds formed.- to the outside of the fixed threads so as to pass each thread of the further set circumferentially across a corresponding thread of the fixed' set before the formation of the next shed.

In a circular loom having a warp-shedding reed of the type described, a comb disposed in a gap in the reed and having a series off eyed dents for holding a set of spaced warp threads at a xed radial distance from the loom axis, a further member disposed in the vicinity of the comb and comprising a series of longer dents for guiding a further set of spaced warp threads radially with respect to the loom axis, a ring,

Vmeans on said ring for positioning shuttles between the warp threads, means for imparting relative circular motion with respect to the loom axis between the ring and the warp threads, shedding Wheels in association with said ring and disposed alternately at opposite sides of the warp sheet, said shedding wheels being adapted to push the further set of threads radially inwardly and outwardly past the xed set of threads to form successive sheds on the inside and outside of said fixed threads after the laying of a pick of weft in a shed, and a cam in driving connection with said ring and adapted to effect relative circumferential motion betweenl the further member and the comb after the laying of a pick of weft in each of the sheds formed to the outside of the fixed threads so as to pass each thread of the further set circum'ferentially across a corresponding thread of the xed set before the formation of the next shed.

6. In a. circular loom havingv a warp-shedding reed of the type described, a comb disposed in a gap in the reed and having a series of eyed dents for holding a set of spaced warp threads at a xed radial distance from the loom axis, a further member comprising a series of longer dents and pivoted on the reed above the comb, said pivoted .member being adapted to guide a further set of spaced warp threadsA radially with respect to the loom axis, a cam follower mounted on said pivoted member, a ring, means on said ring for positioning shuttles between the warp threads, means for driving said ring around the loom, a set of shedding Wheels in association with the ring and disposed at one side of the warp sheet, a further set of shedding wheels cooperating with said first-mentioned set and disposed at the other side of the warp sheet, said shedding wheels being adapted to push in turn the further set of threads radially inwardly and outwardly past the fixed set of threads to form successive sheds onV the inside and `outside of said fixed threads afterthe laying of a pick of weft in a shed, and a cam in association with said shedding wheels and adapted to engage the follower on the pivoted member to move said member about its pivot after the laying of a pick of weft in each of the sheds formed to the outside of the fixed threads so as to pass each thread of the further set circumferentially across a corresponding thread of the fixed set before the formation of the next shed I 7. In a circular loom having a warp-sheddin reed of the type described, a comb disposed in a gap in the reed and having a series of eyed dents for holding a set of spaced warp threads at a fixed radial distance from the loom axis, a further member comprising a series of longer dents and pivoted on the reed above the comb, said pivoted member being adapted to guide a further set of spaced warp threads radially with respect to the loom axis, a cam follower mounted on said pivoted member, a ring, means on said ring for positioning shuttles between the warp threads, means for driving said ring around the loom, a set of shedding wheels in association with the ring and disposed at one side of the warp sheet, a freely rotatable ring mounted at the other side of the: warp sheet, a further set of shedding wheels mounted on said freely rotatable ring and cooperating with said firstmentioned set, said shedding wheels being adapted to push in turn the further set of threads radially inwardly and outwardly past the fixed set of threads to form successive sheds on the inside and outside of said xed threads after the laying of a pick of weft in a shed, a freely rotatable driving wheel on said freely rotatable ring, said wheel being engaged by a shedding wheel at the other side of the Warpl sheet to effect rotation by the freely rotatable ring, and a cam on said freely rotatable ring and adapted to engage the follower on the pivoted member to move said member about its pivot after the laying of a pick of weft in each of the sheds formed to the outside of the fixed threads so as to pass each thread of the further set circumferentially across a corresponding thread of the fixed set before the formation of the next shed.

J OANNY J ABOULEY. ROBERT YEADON.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,080,775. May 18, 1937.

JOANNY JABOULEY, ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, first column, line 27, for the Serial number "315, 599" read 3l ,599; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this Correction therein that the same may conform to the record of 'the Case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of July, A. D. 1937.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

